The Good News of the new covenant is an essential part of the gospel message. The apostle Paul says that the confusion of the old covenant ideas "gives birth to bondage" (Galatians 4:24). For many years these old covenant ideas have held the ascendancy while we have mostly been unaware of what they are. That widespread "bondage" is one reason why so many youth rebel against what they think is the gospel.
In 1738 John Wesley chanced on a meeting where someone was reading what Luther wrote about righteousness by faith. Wesley said, "I did feel my heart strangely warmed." Many who have gained an understanding of the two covenants have testified that it brings a brilliant insight into a happier life. In this chapter we wish to let the Bible unfold this precious message. May your heart also be "strangely warmed" by this beautiful truth.
The New Covenant Is God's Promise
Long before the "old covenant" came into being, the Lord originally made the promise that constitutes the new covenant. This "everlasting covenant" was made before the foundation of the world, containing the same promise as the new covenant. It is God's promise to make His people "complete in every good work to do His will... through Jesus Christ" (Hebrews 13:20,21; Genesis 17:7; Revelation 13:8). That is a big project, because not only have all mankind sinned, but they have fallen into a slavery to sin and ego-centeredness so deep that the roots penetrate to the depths of our psyche. The new covenant is the news of how God solves this problem and provides full healing.
Theologians talk about the Adamic covenant, the Noachian covenant, and the Abrahamic covenant, but these are all the same "new" or "everlasting covenant" that God promised, only under different circumstances. There is no need to be confused by artificial definitions. The principle and the promise are always the same—what the Lord does for us.
This covenant (or promise) was made more distinct and far-reaching in His conversations with Abraham. He virtually promised the old man the sky! The Lord would give his descendants land "northward, southward, eastward, and westward." "Count the stars if you are able to number them; so shall your descendants be." In him "all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (Genesis 12:1-3; 13:14-17; 15:5,6)
These staggering promises amount to total blessing: (a) Abraham's descendants will become the greatest nation in the world; (b) the Messiah will come through them; (c) they will bring happiness and prosperity to every family in the world; (d) the land of Canaan will be their possession; (e) more than that, the promise includes the whole world, which must mean the New Earth after God re-creates it (Cf. Romans 4:13); (f) since the earth is to be an "everlasting possession," the covenant must include everlasting life as well (John 3:16); (g) moreover, since only righteousness can dwell in this new earth (2 Peter 3:13), the new covenant promise includes making righteous all who believe; (h) the down-payment on all this incredible blessing would be a miraculous birth (Genesis 17:1-8,21; 18:14; Romans 4:11) enabling Abraham's aged and sterile wife Sarah to have a son whose name is to be Isaac ('laughter"); (i) the world's Saviour is not to come through Ishmael, who is a symbol of an old covenant do-it-yourself works-program, but (j) Christ will come through Isaac's descent, and this will forever demonstrate that Abraham's true descendants are only those who have his faith.
What promises did God ask Abraham to make in return? If you read carefully, you will see that the answer is—none! The new covenant promise is entirely one-sided. God does all the promising. He does not ask us to make promises to Him, for He knows we cannot keep them.
But was Abraham expected to do nothing? What was his part in the bargain? The answer is an astounding one that many people have trouble with: only one thing, believe. "He believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness" (Genesis 15:5,6). To be honest, we must recognize that all the Lord has ever asked from anyone is what He asked from Abraham: faith.
This does not mean that He did not expect obedience, or that good works were not important. The Lord was teaching Abraham the principle of righteousness by faith. Once Abraham learned to believe, true obedience would follow as surely as fruit follows the blossom. And it did, for the Lord said later, "I have known him ... to do righteousness and justice." (Ch. 18:19)
The ancient Jews misunderstood the new covenant, because circumcision became for them the symbol of their do-it-yourself, works-and-obedience program. But the Apostle Paul got to the heart of it. His point is neat: Abraham's faith was "accounted... to him for righteousness." (Romans 4:3)
Brilliant insight! This is how the apostle proved that justification is by faith alone. Six times in Romans 4 we read that Abraham is "our father," the spiritual ancestor of all who exercise faith, Jews or Gentiles.
But Paul is not putting down obedience, for the word "righteousness" means true justification. The word implies straightening out what was crooked, being put right, that is, learning genuine obedience. Such obedience becomes possible only by faith, but the Good News is that it is not only possible, but certain if like Abraham we will believe God's magnificent promise.
God's Covenant Is the Same as His One-sided Promise
The truth of the two covenants discloses a beautiful garden where others see only a barren desert:
The covenant and promise of God are one and the same.... God's covenants with men can be nothing else than promises to them…
After the Flood God made a covenant with every beast of the earth, and with every fowl; but the beasts and the birds did not promise anything in return. Genesis 9:9-16. They simply received the favor at the hand of God. That is all we can do—receive. God promises us everything that we need, and more than we can ask or think, as a gift. We give Him ourselves, that is nothing. And He gives us Himself, that is, everything. That which makes all the trouble is that even when men are willing to recognize the Lord at all they want to make bargains with Him. They want it to be an equal, "mutual" affair—a transaction in which they can consider themselves on a par with God…
The gospel was as full and complete in the days of Abraham as it has ever been or ever will be. No addition to it or change in its provisions or conditions could possibly be made after God's oath to Abraham. Nothing can be taken away from it as it thus existed, and not one thing can ever be required from any man more than what was required of Abraham.
Could anything be more difficult than making dead people come alive? But that is what the One specializes in who promises us the new covenant. He "gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did" (Romans 4:13,14,16-18). In other words, He already counts for you as reality blessings that you have not yet even begun to see. When we learn to believe His Good News, we too will "call those things which do not exist as though they did," because the Word of God declares that these apparently impossible blessings will be. Can you begin to see how the new covenant is the perfect antidote for depression?
How the Old Covenant Came In
When the Lord brought Israel out of Egyptian slavery, He wanted to impress on their minds the same covenant He had made long before with their father Abraham:
You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. (Exodus 19:3,4)
The Hebrew word for "obey" means "listen." Any parent knows that obedience is easier for the child if he will listen. Since God's covenant is always His promise, to "keep My covenant" means to cherish and to appreciate the promise He made to their forefather, Abraham. The Hebrew word here translated "keep" is shamar, used of Adam who was to "tend and keep" the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15). Adam cherished or appreciated the Garden. The Lord was asking Israel at Sinai to cherish or appreciate the promise He made to their father Abraham.
In other words, if Israel at Sinai would believe the Lord as Abraham did, they would become a "kingdom of priests, and an holy nation," the greatest on earth. They would never know failure or defeat. The whole world would beat a path to their door to learn about righteousness by faith which solves all human problems. "If they would simply keep God's covenant, keep the faith, and believe God's promise, they would be a 'peculiar treasure' unto God."
To "bear ... on eagle's wings" is the meaning of the Latin word from which we get our word "succor." We read in the KJV that Christ "is able to succour them that are tempted" (Hebrews 2:18). The deliverance from Egypt was designed to teach this same new covenant truth—that the Lord saves us like a mother eagle saves her young. Israel did nothing to effect their deliverance from Egypt except to let the Lord do it for them, as a baby eagle lets its mother succor it. But the people did not understand the lesson. They wanted a works-program.
Obsessed with legalism, they permitted unbelief to blind their souls so that they could not appreciate God's grace as Abraham did. Their response was not like his, to believe with a contrite heart. Instead, they solemnly promised to be good, that they would obey: "Then all the people answered together and said, 'All that the Lord has spoken we will do'"(Exodus 19:8). This was the old covenant. It was the promise of the people:
These two covenants exist today. The two covenants are not matters of time, but of condition. Let no one flatter himself that he cannot be bound under the old covenant, thinking that its time has passed. The time for that is passed only in the sense that the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revelings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries." 1 Peter 4:3, KJV.
This promise of "all the people" necessitated a detour occasioned by their unbelief. If the people would not keep step with Him, the Lord must now humble Himself to keep step with them. He must ratify their old covenant in order to show them the futility of their self-confidence and legalism.
Paul says that the "law ... was added because of transgressions" (Galatians 3:19). The word "added" means "emphasized," "underlined," or "articulated:"
The law was given to show them [Israel] that they had not faith and so were not true children of Abraham, and were therefore in a fair way to lose the inheritance. God would have put His law into their hearts even as He put it into Abraham's heart, if they had believed. But when they disbelieved, yet still professed to be heirs of the promise, it was necessary to show them in the most marked manner that their unbelief was sin.... They had the same spirit as their descendants, who asked, "What must we do, to be doing the work of God?" (John 6:28 RSV)... Unless they saw their sin, they could not avail themselves of the promise. Hence the necessity of the speaking of the law."
Now must come the terrors of Mt. Sinai, which were completely unnecessary for Abraham. Since the people had now instituted the old covenant by making their arrogant promise, the Lord was obliged to communicate His law to them through a different method (Exodus 19:16-18; 20:1-20). He did not need to frighten Abraham with thunders and lightnings and earthquakes, for He wrote His holy law in his believing heart. The old covenant depends on fear as its motivation to produce "the works of the law," because the motivation of faith has not yet been realized.
For example, to refrain from illicit sex because of fear of AIDS or because of shame is old covenant legalism. To keep the Sabbath because of fear of being lost is also legalism. It is good to refrain from illicit sex, and it is good to keep the Sabbath, but the motive that is truly effective is supplied only by the grace of God in the new covenant.
The new covenant is heart-religion, an inexpressible gratitude and awe imposed by grace. The Lord promises, "I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts" (Cf. Hebrews 8:8-12). This means more than memorizing Bible verses. It means a love-affair with truth.
How does the Lord write His law in human hearts? It's easy to answer glibly, "By the Holy Spirit." But how does He do it? By capturing the affections of the soul, what people long ago often said is "heart-work." The alienated heart is reconciled to God through that "blood of the cross."
When "the love of Christ constrains us" we become new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:14-21). The cold stony heart we were born with becomes melted; a new spirit fills the heart. We learn to hate the sins we once loved, and we love harmony and reconciliation with the Saviour.
Under the new covenant, the ten commandments become ten glorious promises. For example, says the Lord, when you believe that "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage," inexpressible gratitude will motivate you. Then you shall never fall into adultery, or into murder, or into stealing, or any other sin. An appreciation of that cross cleanses those buried motivations of sin and selfishness that have such deep roots. This is how the new covenant bears fruit.
The fruit cannot be the cold "works of the law" that are motivated by fear; it is a selfless devotion to Christ which alone is true obedience. "Agape is the fulfilling of the law." (Romans 13:10)
God's precepts are promises; they must necessarily be such, because He knows that we have no power. All that God requires is what He gives. When He says, "Thou shalt not" we may take it as His assurance that if we but believe Him He will preserve us from the sin against which He warns us.
The Common but Terrible Bondage of the Old Covenant
Making old covenant promises to God "gives birth to bondage," says Paul. If s a terrible thing to drag unsuspecting young Christians into this spiritual bondage. But this is what happens when we lead them to make these vain promises to God.
For example, children and youth are led to promise to keep the ten commandments "every day," and never to go where those commandments tell them "no." Soon they forget or someone entices them into a mistake. They realize that they have broken their promise, and their failures alienate them from the grace of God. Having broken their promise, they feel that they are no good. They feel that they cannot trust their own sincerity and they conclude that they have not been "elected" to be saved. The problem is that God never asked them to make a promise in the first place.
Some few may find their way back from the bondage of the old covenant into the liberty of the new, but many others fall and never rise again.
It is not only useless but harmful to lead children to promise God that they will keep the ten commandments, that they will never go where they shouldn't, or that they will be obedient forever. Not that it is wrong to obey. The problem is that the old covenant is not the way to obey. For example, it is well known that it is useless to lead a cigarette addict to promise never to smoke again, or an alcoholic to promise never to drink again. The true secret is making a right choice, which is possible only through grace.
There are still lethal injections of old covenant ideas that lace Christian literature for children and youth, and the bondage thus ministered is one reason why so many become discouraged. A deeply perceptive author tells us the root reason why the old covenant leads into spiritual bondage:
You are weak in moral power, in slavery to doubt, and controlled by the habits of your life of sin. Your promises and resolutions are like ropes of sand. You cannot control your thoughts, your impulses, your affections. The knowledge of your broken promises and forfeited pledges weakens your confidence in your own sincerity, and causes you to feel that God cannot accept you [this is what Paul means when he says that the old covenant "gives birth to bondage"] .... What you need to understand is the true force of the will… Everything depends on the right action of the will... You cannot change your heart, you cannot of yourself give to God its affections; but you can choose to serve him… Thus your whole nature will be brought under the control of the Spirit of Christ; your affections will be centered upon Him, your thoughts will be in harmony with Him.
Even some of our beloved hymns are permeated with old covenant concepts that "give birth to bondage." The effect is often subliminal. Sincere Christians are unconsciously enslaved by darkness and depression assimilated from respected hymns or "gospel" songs that convey "under the law" or ego-oriented messages.
The Mighty Power of the Holy Spirit
Our Saviour administers His new covenant promise through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The pope of Rome claims to be the Vicar of Christ, His representative on earth, taking His place since Christ has ascended to heaven. If that were true, it would be bad news for everyone, for the pope can do nothing to help you and me so far as salvation from sin is concerned. He is too far away and too busy with too many problems.
Jesus said that His true Vicar on earth is the Holy Spirit. That is Good News, because He can help you and me even more than Jesus could if He were here in person. In fact, He is called the Spirit of Christ, Christ's Representative, divested of physical limitations but acting in His stead.
The three Persons of the Godhead are one God. That is why Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit comes, He comes, not personally as when He returns in the clouds of heaven, but in the Spirit.
As our previous chapter reveals, Jesus is closer to us than popular teaching allows; so the Holy Spirit is also closer to us than we have thought. He is as much a Friend as Jesus is. He is on our side, trying to get us ready to enter heaven, not trying to keep us out.
Jesus introduces the Holy Spirit by giving Him a special name—"another Helper" (John 14:16-18,26). He is "another parakletos," that is, a Replacement for Himself. He is sent "in My name." The Greek word means "the one who is called to come and sit down beside you forever" (para, as in parallel—two railroad tracks are parallel, and they always stay together; and kletos, the One called). He will never leave us, although we have power to grieve Him and drive Him off if we choose. We are closer to Christ today by the Spirit than the Twelve were 2000 years ago when they walked and talked with Him personally.
The Holy Spirit is also a Master Teacher and Stimulator of our memory, for Jesus said that "He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you" (John 14:26)
Why did Jesus have to go away personally? "It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you" (John 16:7-11). If He had remained here personally or physically, He would have been our Pope (I speak reverently), but limited by physical existence. You or I could not have a visit with Him except by going through His secretaries and waiting for months or years for a few precious minutes with Him. Many of earth's billions could never visit with Him at all.
But through the Holy Spirit each of us has unlimited access to Christ as though we were each the only human being on earth. The Holy Spirit is God the Spirit, Christ the Spirit, everywhere at once. He has five billion people to care for, but He is infinite. Thus He gives full attention to each of us. He notices when even a sparrow falls. Stand in the bright sunshine; you couldn't get more of it if you were the only person in the world.
The Good News of the Holy Spirit's work in the new covenant shines brightly. When we understand how good the Good News is, we discover that it is easy to be saved and it is hard to be lost. Under the reign of grace it is as easy to do right as under the reign of sin it is easy to do wrong. This must be so; for if there is not more power in grace than there is in sin, then there can be no salvation from sin.
Let no one ever attempt to serve God with anything less than the present, living power of God that makes him a new creature. Then the service of God will indeed be in "newness of life"; then it will be seen that His yoke is "easy" and his burden "light." His service will be with "joy inexpressible and full of glory." (See Matthew 11:28-30; Romans 5:20, 21; 6:4; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Peter 1:8)
Boundless grace is given to every one, bringing salvation in full measure. If any one does not have that blessing, why is it? Plainly it can be only because he will not take that which is given. Unbelief is the problem.
When we read or hear the word of God, we are to open the heart to that word, that it may accomplish the will of God in us. The word of God itself is to do the work, and we are to let it. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom," says the apostle (Colossians 3:16). Perhaps we never realized it before, but the Good News declares that it is actually hard work to be lost. Christ specifically says that His "yoke is easy" and to resist His grace is "hard." (Matthew 11:28-30; Acts 26:14)
Good News to the Last Page
The last page of the Bible extends the final invitation, "The Spirit and the bride say, Come" (Revelation 22:17). The Spirit is appealing to people who we may think are hopeless, and the church which is to be the Bride of Christ is to be in perfect sympathy with Him in His concern for them. Many more than we suppose will respond. God's true, honest people are still in the darkness of the world. They will take the place of those who will leave Christ in the last great crisis, who have long professed the gospel but have rejected it in heart because they have resisted the kind of self-crucified devotion to Christ that the cross demands.
Angels and the Holy Spirit still cooperate in holding back the final outburst of strife and plagues symbolized by the loosing of the "four winds" (Revelation 7:1-4). You cannot safely drive down the highway unless the Holy Spirit restrains some drunk or drug-crazed maniac from plowing into you. The entire world would be engulfed in ruin unless the Holy Spirit were restraining the evil that is about to burst loose.
But He is being withdrawn from the world, not because He wants to leave but because mankind is steadily driving Him off. "Today if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts" (Hebrews 3:7,8). The final sin against Him which is unpardonable is that last choice to reject His pleading when He says, "This is the way, walk in it." If we reject His conviction of sin and the remembrance of truth, then He is grieved and is forced to turn away forever. We are all rapidly coming to a final choice—to go all the way with the Holy Spirit and be sealed for the coming of the Lord, or to make a last choice to reject Him.
Only one thing is truly difficult for us—and that is to believe how good the Good News is. Our constant battle is to "fight the good fight of faith" (1 Timothy 6:12). Mankind is so held captive to unbelief that nothing can break through those chains except the truth of the cross of Christ and the full reality of the Holy Spirit's constant ministry. He is still the Vicar of the great High Priest who is cleansing the heavenly sanctuary.
His Good News is powerful. Stop resisting Him. Let Him lead you all the way home.